The Perfect Pair: Lamb Chops with Rosemary Polenta, and Mint Salsa Verde, Château Macquin, Saint-Georges-Saint-Émilion

The Perfect Pair is a series where our Bottle Shop wine experts work with the chefs at their big houses to create the perfect recipe to pair alongside one of our wines. Our recipes aim to be super easy for you to make at home so you can recreate the Big House experience from the comfort of your home.

Serves 2

4 lamb chops
125g ground polenta
6 sprigs of rosemary
200g tenderstem broccoli
200g mint
100g flat-leaf parsley
6 anchovy fillets (in oil)
1 garlic clove
1 tsp capers
1 lemon
170ml olive oil
100g butter
200ml butter

1. Place the lamp chops on a small baking tray and season with salt. Allow to rest for 30 minutes to get to room temperature – this will allow the salt to penetrate the meat further.
2. Finely chop the garlic, capers and anchovies, and place into a medium bowl.
3. Chop the mint and parsley by stacking and rolling the leaves together. Add the herbs to the bowl and then drizzle in the olive oil whilst stirring using a fork, then add the zest and juice of the lemon and season with a pinch of salt.
4. Chop 4 springs of rosemary .
5. In a medium pot bring 700ml of water to a high simmer.
6. Slowly whisk in all the polenta, then add 200ml of milk and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring frequently. If your polenta is too thick add more water until it is a creamy consistency. Turn off the heat after 15 minutes and whisk in 50g butter, the chopped rosemary and half a teaspoon of sea salt. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.
7. While the polenta is cooking place a frying pan or preferably a cast iron onto a medium-high heat. Place the lamb chops in the pan once hot and render fat first by putting the chops fat side down, then lie flat on each side for 3-4 minutes to get a golden crust. Once you have flipped them over add 50g butter and 2 sprigs of rosemary and baste. By this time they will be medium-rare, if you wish to cook them further finish them in the oven. Let your chops rest for 5 minutes before serving.
8. Bring a pan of salted water to boil and add the broccoli – cook for 3-4 minutes. Take the broccoli out of the water. Place into a hot frying pan and finish with salt and olive oil.
9. Plate up and enjoy.

For a comforting meal like this lamb dish, a wine with equal nostalgic and charm works perfectly. This Château Macquin, Bordeaux, delivers concentrated aromas of cassis and bramble berries with an underlying warmth of deep umami and tobacco notes. On the palette a surprising raspberry-fresh acidity works to match the uplifting mint….and also makes this an incredibly drinkable red.